Climbiés 'badly served' by Brent social services

Leadership in Brent social services department prior to the Victoria Climbié tragedy was "seriously defective", the council's chief executive has told the inquiry into her death.

Gareth Daniel said of the conditions faced by social workers at Brent between 1998 and 2000: "It was a bit like soldiers in the first world war - they were poorly managed and poorly led."

He named Mike Boyle, the social services director between October 1995 and September 1999, Ronald Ludgate, the acting social services director for six months from April 1999, and Lucille Thomas, the children's social work director, as the focus of his concern.

All three have now "moved on" from the council.

Mr Ludgate, now the deputy social services director, has been suspended since March 2000 in relation to allegations of gross misconduct unrelated to the Climbié case and is set to leave the council.

Mr Daniel, who became Brent's acting chief executive in May 1998 and was promoted to the post permanently in September that year, said: "I would say there were serious weaknesses at a higher level."

Within six months of his taking office, Mr Daniel said a cull of "under-performing senior managers" was started as the council, in its attempt to modernise, became "a little intolerant" of them.

He added: "I think there were very serious flaws, both in terms of professional judgement and in terms of management of the service at the time, and I think Victoria and her family were very badly served by the professionals in Brent at the time."

Brent council leader Naan John told the inquiry that the council's social work department was in a "sorry state of affairs" during the period in question.

Ms John, who was deputy leader of Brent council in 1999 when Victoria came into its care, said she was aware of "serious concerns" about performance triggered by tight budgets, staff shortages and lack of leadership.

She told the inquiry that the professional judgement used in the case by Edward Armstrong, Brent's children's services manager, was found "wanting".

Mr Armstrong, who managed the team handling Victoria's case, was suspended and was singled out for blame by Ms John over the "mistakes" he had made.

Ms John said: "Any system you have in place is capable of being ignored by individuals within that system if they do not adhere to it."

In his evidence on October 9, Mr Armstrong had severely criticised "chaotic" conditions at Brent at the time, claiming that child protection cases were closed inappropriately and that files were regularly lost.

Ms John added: "It is a matter of deep regret that a child died in these circumstances. I can tell you it has had a devastating effect on the authority as a whole. All of us feel it and want to learn from it."

Victoria, eight, died in February 2000 with 128 separate injuries on her body after suffering months of abuse, torture and neglect at the hands of her great-aunt Marie Thérèse Kouao, 44, and Kouao's boyfriend, Carl Manning, 28, who are now serving life sentences for her murder.